Students Rally Against Hate and Violence
A publication by the students for the Ramapo College community

THURSDAY, December 3, 2009

By SAMANTHA ULLRICH
Staff Writer

More than 60 members of Ramapo College
attended a peace rally on Wednesday,
November 18 to demonstrate against hate
crimes. The rally started in J. Lee’s, circled
Ramapo’s campus and ended in the first quad
of the Village.
The alleged hate crime that occurred on campus during the early hours of Nov. 13 caused
members of Ramapo College to rally against
future occurrences and affirm that the campus
will not tolerate prejudice.
“We did this to send a message that Ramapo
College is a community that will not stand for
intolerance, hatred, or violence,” said Zaneta
Rago, Queer Peer Services Coordinator.
“This march was for those who have ever
been afraid to be who they are.
Various members of Ramapo College attended the rally, including members of Kappa
Sigma and allies of the queer community. The
amount of people who attended the rally spoke
volumes of the impact of this event.
“We have Kappa Sigma brothers who are
gay. We feel strongly on the issue, and gave our
best effort to get as many brothers as we could
to come out and support the cause,” said Matt
Hlavaty, a Kappa Sigma brother.
“It was moving to see how many people came

photo courtesy of Jill Grimaldi

Jill Grimaldi, Vicky Blume and Jessica Roffe hold their protest signs in J.
Leeʼs, where many students came together to conquer homophobia.

out from so many social groups to show their
support,” said Jill Grimaldi, member of the
Women’s Center.
“It’s so amazing to see how much love we
build up to drown out the hate.”
Before the rally began, a sheet of paper was

handed out upon entering J. Lee’s listing nine
chants that were repeated during the march.
Two members of the march used megaphones
to initiate the chant, which was repeated by the
mass of people marching. Twice during the
protest, the group stopped, circled, and

young age of 18.
“I’m very happy that almost everyone in
this class is around the same age that I was
when I went into the army, I feel as though
we can relate through ways of thinking.”

Levine was a part of the Ninetieth Division
from Utah Beach, Texas and on June 8,
1944, Levine went to Normandy and was a
part of the mortar crew. This was where
Levine held a position that required to him

XL No. 11

screamed as loudly as possible, a good medium
to release anger and to concentrate peoples’
energy.
“I hope we plant the seed to show them that
this is not okay,” said Ali Melillo, president of
Ramapo Pride and volunteer at the Women’s
Center.
“We need to react and be proactive.”
The members of the peace rally chanted and
marched for a little over an hour. Some carried
signs, but all were there to represent their stand
against homophobia.
“As President I deplore this hateful homophobic behavior and affirm that it will not be
tolerated. No member of the College should
have to fear that his or her personal characteristics or attributes will lead to being subject to
any kind of abuse,” stated President Mercer in
an email addressing all faculty, staff and students.
The queer community used this medium to
communicate that a safe campus should be
available to all students and members of this
college.
“I feel it was quite the success. One of the
most powerful and empowering events in my
two years,” said Corey Chichizola, program
coordinator of the Women’s Center and Eboard member of Ramapo Pride, “We wanted
to communicate that Ramapo has no place for
hatred or violence for any group.”

POW Shares Story as German Captor in WWII
By AMY FEZZA
Staff Writer

Robert Levine, a POW of WWII, was on
campus to share his wartime experience. He
was able to give an overview of his position
as an army man and what he had gone
through during his experience in captivity.
Not only is Robert Levine a war veteran,
but he is also an amputee and the story he
delivered was one that captivated the audience.
“We are very privileged to have Robert
Levine with us today. You will all see that
happiness and success can still come even
after such a traumatic experience such as
this one,” Professor Judith Peck said.
The presentation was held in Professor
Peck’s class “Art as a Therapy.” Even
though the presentation was held during a
regular class, walk-ins from other students
and staff members were encouraged.
“I have to admit, this is the first time I have
ever had a full female audience,” Levine
said, but that didn’t stop him from telling his
story on such a traumatic experience.
Levine went into the army at the very

to be in grave danger.
Levine was the person who took the shells
and put them into the guns.
“The weapons I helped with were main
factors in fighting over in Normandy, I had
a lot of weight on my shoulders and I knew
something could happen to me.”
Through Levine’s explanation on in-depth
details of what went on through the war, he
always had a smile on his face. Never once
did he get upset, but was proud to be able to
share the information with anyone who was
willing to listen.
“Instantly, I was hooked, I couldn’t wait to
hear more from the very beginning because
he spoke from his heart,” said Cassandra
Spincola, a sophomore.
After going through the basics and the key
points that led Levine to his capture, he
opened up about his experience as a POW.
During one of the attacks at Normandy,
Levine went on to say, “I had to dive into a
foxhole to protect myself, but my left leg
was stuck hanging from the top. I was hit by
a grenade and was unable to move.”
see LEVINE on page 5

As India Grows, So Does Its Share of Greenhouse Gases

Page 2 The Ramapo News

Thursday, December 3, 2009

By SCOTT LAUDATI
Staff Writer

Will tax-break incentives be enough to
finally get the world’s corporations on a
greener path? If younger generations are
educated more rapidly and intensely can we
accommodate conservation and green house
gases into what we perceive to be “the good
life?” Siddhartha, director of Fireflies
Intercultural Center, certainly hopes so.
On Tuesday, Siddhartha led a presentation
on “Climate Change and India” for a
packed lecture-hall of concerned students
and faculty. While the discussion was laced
with humor, the undertone of Siddhartha’s
words painted a dire picture of a world in
danger.
India has the world’s second fastest growing economy, just behind China. There are
over a billion people that live within its borders, making it the largest democracy on
Earth; it has a middle-class of 300 million
people. Bangalore, a city in Southern India,
has surpassed Silicone Valley for most computer techs.
Yet even with all of these factors working
in India’s favor, progress is still overshadowed by something no GDP can cure,
something of an uncontrollable and often
violent nature. While House Republicans
will still deny that things like global warming exist, but it may only be because the
dark side of climate change hasn’t reached
U.S. shores yet.
“Americans are well aware that global
warming is a serious issue. But until it is
affects us directly, we can’t do anything
until everyone gets on board,” said
Sophomore Erica Buchman.
Siddhartha is striving to raise enough
awareness to make sure it never does.

Many factors are contributing to the acceleration of climate change. As forests get cut
down, the carbon dioxide that was absorbed
by the trees now builds in the atmosphere.
The world’s population is growing and to
feed all of the population, endless energy is
needed. Yet what may be the biggest component for greenhouse emissions is the oil
and fuel that is burned in our vehicles
everyday.
India and other countries that share the
“Third-World” title are feeling the brunt of
what careless consumerism and Capitalistic
agendas do to the impoverished regions of
the world.
In Northern India, apple farmers are facing a crisis. For generations, they made
their living by harvesting their apple trees.
However, apple trees need a cool climate

photo courtesy of Creative Commons

and with the rising temperatures, their trees
have stopped growing.
In Mumbai, a city in Western India, there
are 130,000 fisherman families. Less than a
decade ago, they could catch 15,000 tons of
fish a year. Now it’s a mere 2,000 tons.
Tourism was once a major money generator in Northern India for those wishing to
see the Himalayas. These glaciers are melting faster than any other on earth, and as
they dwindle, so does the tourism industry.
Regions around the country that were fairly dry are experiencing so much rain that
the flood plains can’t handle it. Landslides
are also becoming more common as the glacial snows melt and rains intensify. It is
greatly feared that with the increase of
floods, malaria will run rampant throughout
India.

The opposite effect seems to be happening
in areas that used to have ideal crop growing conditions. In Chattisgarh, an agriculutral state in central India, farmers find themselves in particular distress. In just a few
years, the water level has dropped 200 feet.
Many people in India have been lured into
farming by money lenders. They are convinced to take loans to start up farms with
the promise of return profits in one season.
In the areas that have only recently
become affected by droughts, crop failure is
becoming the norm. Farmers are so heavily
indebted that many turn to one bleak solution: suicide. In April of 2009, Chattisgarh
farmers felt they had no other options after
another failed crop season and many committed suicide.
Students curious about how their politicans could be so inept when it comes to
solving these problems were informed of an
ugly truth: politicans are concerned with
getting re-elected, making it impossible for
them to see in the “long term.” A common
political cliché regarding climate change
has been the economy. Shutting down or
fining polluting facotries and corporations
would only hurt the economy further, they
say.
The presentation was concluded with a
Q&A session. Siddhartha used this time to
ask the crowd what their ideas were.
Possible tax-incentives for buisnesses is an
option that seemed favorable, as well as
grass roots actions to raise awareness.
The “Climate Change and India” lecture
came just five days shy of the Copenhagen
Negotiations. The Negotiations will bring
the UN and world leaders together for a
chance to get the world on a fast track to
redemption. It appears that finally, time is
actually running out.

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AROU N D THE

Cross-Dressers Explain Struggle With Dual Lives

By BRITTANY TEMPLE
Staff Writer

As students gathered at J. Lee’s on Nov.
16 for the monthly “night OUT” meeting,
three women sat side-by-side prepared to lead
the discussion. However, on second glance it
was questionable whether those women were
women at all.
In honor of National Remembrance day on
Nov. 17, Queer Peer Services invited three
cross-dressers to give Ramapo students,
both straight and gay alike, a deep and candid look into their world.
The term cross-dresser was coined about
thirty years ago as they feared being lost
within the category of homosexuals, as
many cross dressers are in fact straight.
The three cross-dressers who visited
Ramapo that evening hoped to communicate
to students that cross-dressing does not necessarily equal homosexuality, which is what
a great number of people mistakenly believe
today.
“We’ve been accused of riding the coattails
of the gay and lesbian movement, which is
true because we don’t have the numbers that
they do,” said Cynthia, one of the crossdressing men leading the panel discussion
along with fellow cross-dressers Kathy and

photo by Brittany Temple

Cynthia, Kathy and Laura pose for a photo after their talk in J. Leeʼs, where
they said cross-dressing is not synonymous with homosexuality.

Laura. “We don’t have a big presence. By
nature we tend to be in the closet.”
“In the closet” has a different meaning to
Cynthia, Kathy and Laura than the homosexual community. A closeted life for a

Vice Provost Search
Begins in Mississippi

By RACHEL WINTERMUTE
Staff Writer

The Ramapo College administration will
soon grow by one. Currently, the search is on
to fill the vacant position of Vice Provost. On
Wednesday, December 2, the first of two candidates made their presentations for the job. Eric
Daffron of the Mississippi University for
Women convened a meeting in SC-137 to present his straightforward PowerPoint of his proposal for Vice Provost proficiency.
Primarily, the Vice Provost for Curriculum
andAssessment has a myriad of departments to
oversee and report back to the Provost, Beth
Barnett. Also, Vice Provost will have the
responsibility of performing the duties of the
Provost in the event of her absence.
Daffron began his presentation by addressing
the first issue of the curriculum. He initially
concentrated on the challenges facing the curriculum and how to create the most successful
program. Challenges include the generational
difference in learning and the variations in
enrollment expectations. Next, he proposed
positive opportunities, such as innovative
teaching and learning strategies. Daffron
stressed the important role of academic advising
and even mentioned an “Early Alert” system
used by his institution in Mississippi that identifies “at risk” students and strives to put them
back on the right track.

Next, Daffron mentioned the challenges and
opportunities for assessment. He dwelled on
the difference of external challenges, like
regional accrediting bodies and the federal government and other internal challenges such as
faculty buy-in and unmanageable processes.
Daffron seemed passionate about the opportunities in assessment and mentioned the increasing demand for data about how students are
learning.
The formal session ended with a brief question and answer period, allowing members of
the audience to ask Daffron about his credentials and visions for the Vice Provost position.
He took this opportunity to share his professional experiences. Daffron began his career as
an English professor and worked his way
through small administration roles to the position of Associate Vice President of Academic
Affairs. His resume includes experience as
MUW interim Provost and traveling to China
as chair of a task force for internationalizing the
MUW campus.
Overall, Daffron touched upon his growing
passion for working in administration across an
entire campus. His PowerPoint presentation
was obviously well-planned and thoroughly
developed.
The prestigious position of
Ramapo’s Vice Provost remains open, with
Eric Daffron at the forefront of the race.

cross-dresser means keeping their crossdressing habits hidden away from their
everyday life including job, friends and family. “We pass under the radar. One out of ten
males [are] cross-dressers. They could be

Thursday, December 3, 2009

wearing it under their street clothes,”
Cynthia said.
A similarity that Cynthia, Laura and
Kathy all share is their heterosexuality.
Although Kathy finds herself “riding the
fence” at times, Cynthia and Laura are both
married to women and live much of their
lives as men. Their spouses are aware of
their cross-dressing, but that is the extent of
who from their private life knows about
their second ego.
While the three vary in the amount of
exposure their cross-dressing gets, they all
admitted to the difficulties they faced in
accepting that portion of their lives and
opening it up to others.
“I started at the age of four, by accident
actually, but it just felt natural to me. Only
everyone else thought it was weird. But I
still wanted to find someone like me,” Laura
said.
This is how the three found another commonality: Tri Ess. Tri Ess is a support
group for heterosexual cross-dressers and
their families that educates them about
cross-dressing and creates a safe environment
for socializing and discussion. It’s an
empowering place where cross-dressers can
see LEVINE on page 5

Good luck with finals!
Enjoy the holidays and weʼll see you in the
spring
(when you come in to write for us)

Page 4 The Ramapo News

Roving

Reporter

Thursday, December 3, 2009

“If you werenʼt an editor of the Ramapo News, what would you be doing?”
Question and Photographs by Erica Buchman

The UN COP15, or Copenhagen
Conference, will begin on Dec. 7 and is
scheduled to end on Dec 18. Previous
attempts of Conference of Parties (COP)
have happened beginning in 1995 in Berlin.
These conferences take place to try to limit
climate change. In 1997 the Kyoto Protocol
was negotiated, but since then new developments in the world show that a new negotiation is needed.
This conference is important because it is
the last chance for legislation to be passed
on an international level while there is still
time to do something about climate change.
There have been noticeable changes in the
world climate - as the documentary “Age of
Stupid” shows the public through stories which have deeply affected people. The
filmmakers hoped to rally up enough supporters to show their governments that they
want someone to fight for their country at
the Copenhagen Conference.
The film is based on scientific evidence and
is backed up by prestigious scientists.
One story follows French mountain guide
Fernand Pareau. He has been a mountain
guide for decades and the audience sees him

photo courtesy of Wiki Commons

guide a family to a glacier to walk on it.
He speaks about how, when he was a kid,
the glacier was huge and people could walk
right onto it. Now to get to the glacier people have to go down a series of ladders on the
side of a cliff. This story raises awareness
about climate change and the damage done
by the planet’s temperature rising.
A second story follows Layefa Malemi,
who wants to become a doctor. She lives in

a region of Nigeria which is most profitable
for oil. Shell Oil Company made a deal with
the village that they would build a health
center if they could drill for oil. Shell never
finished the center and all that is left are
crumbling walls.
Since Shell came to the village there is
more oil pollution on the fish and land, a lot
less fish for the villagers to catch and poorer conditions.
This is a story about people who were living on less than a dollar a day, and who
wanted to make their town better but are
now left with contaminated water and more
problems than they started with. This story
also shows how harmful using oil can be for
the people living near where it is drilled
from.
In the UK, wind farm developer Pier Guy
wants to put up wind turbines to power his
house, but faces controversy from other
town members claiming that it will obstruct
their view. All he wants to do is reduce his
carbon footprint and help the planet, but he
cannot achieve his full potential because
people are worried about the aesthetics.
This is a story which shows someone trying to make a positive difference to reduce
his negative impact on the planet, but cannot due to other people restricting his use of

an alternative source of energy.
These are just some of the stories of people who have been affected by climate
change and of people who are trying to make
a difference to slow down climate change but
are facing difficulty doing so.
One powerful quote from “Age of Stupid”
is, “We wouldn’t be the first life form to
make itself extinct. But what would be
unique about us is that we did it knowingly.
What does that say about us?”
This quote really puts ideas into perspective in regards to peoples’ lives impacting
climate change and how society now operates on global, corporate and social levels.
If things go well at the conference in the
upcoming weeks, countries around the world
will work together to move forward without
letting internal disagreements get in the way
of trying to preserve the planet and reduce
the rate at which climate change is occurring.
More information about the UN COP15,
Copenhagen Conference can be found at:
http://en.cop15.dk/frontpage
and
http://www.copenhagenclimatecouncil.com.
Green Fact of the Week: 9 gallons of oil is
saved for every ton of glass recycled

Levine Keeps His
Head Up

‘In the Closest’ Takes
a New Meaning

After that incident, Levine was captured by the enemy.
“All of you here need to understand
what a POW means – you’re not alone
before you’re captured, you have a family that you go out with on that battlefield. It isn’t until you are facing the
enemy unable to move, that is when
you’re alone,” Levine said.
Once Levine had been captured, his left
leg that had been hurt by the grenade had
to be amputated. Levine explained how
he was very thankful for the doctor who
had done the surgery because if it weren’t
for him, he would not be alive to tell his
story.
“The German doctor who took care of
me saw on my dog tag that I had an “H”
initialed on it. He questioned me what it
meant, but before I could answer he
knew. I thought at that moment I wouldn’t make it to my next birthday,” Levine
said. “Being Hebrew and being in
Germany, that wasn’t a good place for
me to be at that time.”
Therefore, his doctor took his dog tag
so that the Nazi soldiers would not kill
him. Levine said he never forgot about

meet and share stories of struggle, self discovery, or simply where they like to buy
heels.
Tri Ess also teaches its members how to
think of cross-dressing as a normal, eccentric and fulfilling portion of their lives as
opposed to a hidden sector. Although some
cross-dressers like Kathy have opened up
that part of their life, Laura has reasons to
keep it more on the private side.
“It’s an area of my life I have learned to
respect through Tri Ess, but I can’t bring
it into my mainstream right now. I have a
wife, a baby on the way, and I could probably lose my job.”
Aside from their personal challenges, the
public can also be harsh critics. Tri Ess
provides a medium to discuss coping with
attacks, harassment, and the occasional
curious passer by.
“I’ve been cursed and I’ve been questioned. If they curse, I walk away. If they
question, then let’s talk. I once had an
entertaining conversation with a school
group from Ohio. I always try to do outreach. I’ll talk to anyone with an open

Page 5 The Ramapo News

Continued from page 1

the German doctor that did not treat him
like a prisoner, but looked at him as a
human and saved his life.
Not long after Levine was sent to
Rennes POW Hospital, where the 8th
U.S. Infantry Division liberated the city
and brought back the prisoners.
“My whole life has been an ‘Up’
because of that gesture that doctor did for
me,” said Levine.
Throughout Levine’s entire presentation he could not help but smile.
“Always look up and don’t look down.
I have learned to live and accept life the
way that it is.”
Levine was thankful for his enemy to
be by his side and to save him from
death.
“I was able to survive, life is great.”
Levine gave his perspective on life and
said to always try and see a positive.
“I thought it was a wonderful story. It
really helped me to appreciate life and I
think it is amazing to have heard a story
such as this from someone who looked
at his experience as a positive,” Spincola
said.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Continued from page 3

mind,” Cynthia said.
And open minds is exactly what they
encountered here at Ramapo as students sat
circled around the speakers and actively
engaged in the conversation. Students
asked questions such as how did they discover they enjoyed cross-dressing, would
they expose more of their cross-dressing if
there wasn’t discrimination, and whether it
stresses them out to lead two lives as one
person. Cynthia, Kathy and Laura all participated in answering and gave seemingly
honest answers.
Following the discussion, students
assembled outside of the Student Center
and prepared to march around campus on a
peace rally.
With signs, banners, microphones and a
lot of loudly chanting participants, the
march was a success. Starting at the Laurel
court the pack traveled through buildings
while passing the message of peace and
anti-discrimination.
The evening was a tribute to diversity
and a reminder to students to show sensitivity and compassion to differences
between one another instead of hate or
ignorance.

Got a Free Tuesday? Get Some ‘Good Love’
By BRITTANY TEMPLE
Staff Writer

Students spend Tuesday nights at Ramapo
kicking back, relaxing and having a good
time. Although Ramapo is often labeled as a
place where not much goes on, those guilty of
such labeling simply don’t know where to
look. A place that may have passed under their
radar this semester is Rivara’s.
In the heart of Glen Rock sits Rivara’s, a bar
and restaurant that has been doubling as a
Tuesday night hang out for Ramapo students
and locals alike. This semester, an array of
young talent has showcased their original
music along with an occasional cover, and all
the while their friends and family have been
able to enjoy the show with no more than a
five dollar cover charge.

photo courtesy of Adam Harris

Ramapo graduate Adam Harris is starting
up his own entertainment company.

Those who have taken the opportunity to
kick back and enjoy live music give thanks to
the behind-the-scenes man Adam Harris. A
2009 graduate of Ramapo College, Harris discovered his passion to promote music and
sought to fulfill it.
“I play music myself, but I had a revelation
one day and I felt like I was more needed, for
lack of a better word, in doing behind the scene
work instead of actually performing. I still
perform but my main gig right now is helping other people perform,” Harris said.
After feeling as though he had hit the ceiling at a summer internship, Harris sought a
new adventure.
“I was unhappy with my internship and felt
like I was done growing and learning there. I
started talking to Ben Neill about how I wanted to put on shows, have a festival and just do
a lot of stuff. He motivated me and had confidence in me that I was ready to do it on my
own instead of working for other people. I
said, Are you sure? He said, Yeah. And I said
again, Are you sure? And he said, Yes,” Harris
said.
That conversation with Ramapo professor
Ben Neill planted a seed that blossomed into
Harris’s company: Good Love Entertainment.
“It’s not a legal company yet, but it’s in the
beginning stages. We’re a company that appreciates live music and realizes it’s an important
part of our culture. So I’m trying to restore it
and put on live shows for people at affordable
prices. But we also offer ala carte services such
as artist management, promotion, booking,
photography design, and all sorts of stuff a
band might need,” Harris said.
Although it’s in premature stages, he’s mak-

ing progress by putting on live shows at
affordable prices at smart locations. Rivara’s
was a prime choice with its three dollar
American light drafts and spacious dancing
area.
With more than a handful of shows under
their belt along with Hansel’s in Oakland,
Blue Ribbon Tavern in Spring Valley, New
York, The Meat Locker in Montclair, and a
possible show at Pub 17, both Harris’ company and the showcase bands are getting solid
exposure.
However, the shows are just one piece of the
pie. The whole pie is the Sweet Spot Music
Festival taking place in Harmony, New Jersey
this summer.
“We’re putting together the festival with
both local and national acts. It’s going to be a
two day festival in Harmony. The whole point
of it is to raise awareness and hopefully
money for local environmental organizations
and also raise the awareness of arts and music
in the area,” Harris said.
The Sweet Spot Music Festival got its title
from its greatest sponsor, TheSweetSpot.me.
The company’s owner is a personal friend of
Harris’ and has become a main contributor to
the shows and festival. They also provide
Harris with products to raffle off at the shows,
and the giveaways are far from fruit baskets.
“They sell body lotions, candles and sex
toys. We gave away a bondage chair a couple
weeks ago,” Harris said.
Aside from the live music and enticing raffle items, you can be sure that your cover
charge will be put to good use.
“We have a five dollar cover. How we do it
is we get a little money from the bar, but since

we’re charging a cover we only ask for about
40 or 50 dollars. That goes to the bands.
Depending on how many bands we have we
might have to give another 25 to 50 out of
what we make at the door. We usually make a
nice chunk of change and the money that’s left
over goes to the festival. But right now we’ve
only made enough to cover insurance, hopefully,” Harris said.
While there is still progress to be made,
Harris can be sure he’s doing something right
with a constant turn out at his events. He also
has a solid list of performers that he can count
on to generate a crowd of dancing friends, family and fans.
The growing list of featured bands include
the Jared Kahn Trio, Sunchild and the
Moonlight Flux, DDDGGG, Dewey Decimal
and the System, Big Wilson River, Fikus,
Emma McLaughlin, Tom Nichols, Allie
Potosnak, Los Huevos and Duffy DB and
Moshe, just to name a few.
Good Love Entertainment has a show
planned for Tuesday, Dec. 15 at Rivara’s
showcasing Los Huevos and the Jared Kahn
Trio which will be featuring Adam Harris
himself for the evening. Aside from adding to
the festival’s piggy bank and giving his friends
great venues to play at, Harris hopes to get his
company’s name out there and create a reliable
foundation.
“When you come to a Good Love show you
know what to expect. You’re going to have a
good time, you’re going to dance, there’s
always going to be good music and there’s
always going to be good people.”

Page 6 The Ramapo News

Thank you for your support!
Enjoy winter break.

See you in Spring 2010.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

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Thursday, December 3, 2009

Our Nation’s Hope
Lies in Dope

Transfers, Take Action

Campus views are the sole opinion of their respective authors, submitted to The Ramapo News and in no way reflect the views of either The Ramapo News or Ramapo College of New Jersey.

By CORTNEY COLLINS
Editor-in-Chief

It’s Dec. 3 and to the rest of the world that
might signal holidays, shopping, gift giving
and snow, but to those of us in college it
means one thing: finals.
With less than three weeks left in the
semester, we’re functioning at maximum
capacity, trying to finish final projects,
write multiple 20 page papers and study for
exams that will unfortunately make or break
our grade. Time to break out the Adderall.
Sure, it’s a drug that can only be obtained
with a prescription. And sure, it can be habit
forming. But it’s a staple in any college
dorm – along with various other drugs.
Recreational drug use is part of college
life. Actually, it’s part of life in general. A
home video surfaced this week of screen
legend Marilyn Monroe smoking weed.
President Obama admitted to using marijuana and cocaine in his memoir “Dreams
From My Father: A Story of Race and
Inheritance.” Nearly 10 percent of U.S. citizens ages 50 – 59 smoke weed, the U.S.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration reported in August.
In comparison, the American College
Health Association reports that only 12.7
percent of college kids use marijuana regularly. Marijuana usage numbers are essentially equal across all age demographics
showing that – at the risk of sounding like
the bad guy from D.A.R.E. – everybody’s
doing it.
To be clear, I’m not encouraging drug use.

However I’m not discouraging it either. If
you don’t want to use drugs, that’s your prerogative. But if someone else does want to
use drugs – that’s theirs.
Drug use is a personal choice, much like
food preferences are a personal choice. The
government doesn’t tell me what I can and
can’t eat, so they certainly should not be
telling me what I can and can’t smoke.
Except that they are. And not only are they
telling me what substances I’m allowed to
put in my body, but they’re putting those
who choose to do drugs in prison.
The War on Drugs started in 1969, just five
years after the War on Poverty. However, it
managed in the last 30 years to diminish the
efforts of the latter war and create even
more poverty.
Harvard economist Jeffery Biron estimates
that federal, state and local governments
spend a combined $44 billion to enforce
drug laws. That’s a lot of money that could
be used for other, more important things –
maybe universal healthcare, or hey, maybe
higher education.
Not only is the amount of money spent
fighting (and losing to) drug use absurd, but
the amount that could be made from taxing
drug sales annually is more than $30 billion.
It makes sense – the government lets me
consume alcohol and tobacco, both of
which are known to be harmful, but taxes
their sale. Doing the same thing with drug
sales would easily help alleviate some of
the budget pressure felt by government at
all levels.
Currently there are more than 39 million
people in our nation living below the poverty level. It seems as if the War on Poverty is
failing as well. Consider how the approximately $77 billion, the combined total spent
on the War on Drugs and made taxing drug
sales, could benefit the roughly 13 percent
of Americans who can’t make enough
money to survive.
The holidays are a time for generosity.
Maybe instead of donating money, we can
rework our nation’s laws to benefit not only
the most people possible, but those who
need it the most.

The Ramapo News
is proud to offer
CLASSIFIEDS

By TOM NG
SGA President

How can the college better meet the needs
of Ramapo’s transfer population?
This has been one of the major questions
buzzing at Ramapo College throughout
2009. In an attempt to better serve transfers, discussions on this issue have
occurred throughout the campus from the
administrative level to the student level for
the past year. While Ramapo has taken
numerous steps in the right direction, it is
time transfer students themselves become
more involved in the decision making
process.
There are a variety of ways freshman students are oriented to campus that transfers
students have not had the opportunity to
take part in. These include extended orientations, an “orientation to college” seminar
course (FYS), and a Welcome Week.
Students and the Center for Academic
Advising and the First-Year Experience
(CAAFYE) have recognized these deficiencies and taken steps to correct this
problem. At the beginning of the year
Transfers Unite (a student organization of
transfer students looking to help other
transfers) began a welcome week of their

own. Student Government has been directly involved in the discussion every step of
the way under the leadership of Secretary
of Academic Affairs Marlene Botros, who
has worked with CAAFYE to change the
way we are orienting first semester transfers and raise awareness about the
resources they do have. There have even
been discussions throughout the year
regarding possibly developing a transfer
orientation course.
This dialogue is of great importance in
correcting the lack of attention given to
transfers at Ramapo. SGA’s efforts, however, can only go so far. We have been in
close contact with individual transfer students to try to make these changes, but real
change can only occur with wider support
from the transfer community.
There are a variety of ways transfer students can get involved. Most simply, transfers are welcome at all SGA meetings
(Thursdays at 1 p.m. in the Alumni
Lounges) and SGA Academic Affairs meetings (every other Wednesday at 10am in the
SGA office) to take part in this discussion.
In addition, transfers are encouraged to
help welcome new transfers by assisting at
transfer orientations, which will be held on
Dec. 10 and Jan. 12. To volunteer at orientations, just e-mail caafye@ramapo.edu.
Any other recommendations transfers
have on ways to improve the adjustment
resources Ramapo provides can be emailed to sga@ramapo.edu.
The transfer voice is necessary for any
major changes regarding college policy to
be effective. As we conclude 2009, I am
proud to say the college has made major
changes to improve transfer representation
and support services. For us to continue
this progress into 2010, Ramapo needs its
transfer students to take the lead.

Got an opinion?

Come and be heard.

Monday and Wednesday nights
in SC 218

ARTS

&

E N T E RTA I N M E N T

Ramapo Beats Backs HIV/AIDS Through Music

Thursday, December 3, 2009

BY F RANCES CA BARATTA
Staff Writer

On Dec. 1 as World AIDS Day, the
Women’s Center and Ramashows co-sponsored a benefit concert in Sharpe Theater at
the Berrie Center that included award-winning jazz singer Thos Shipley.
All proceeds from this event were given to
“Braking the Cycle,” a 300 mile bike-a-thon
from Boston to New York that raises funds
for the fight against HIV/AIDS, a diesease
that affects 1 million Americans and 33 million people worldwide. Last year, this organization delivered $1.2 million to fund the
HIV/AIDS services of the Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transsexual Community
Center.
Ramashows provided the two students that
performed as opening acts: Ashley Wood and
Steve Carter. Before these acts began, the
Women’s Center showed a recruiting video
from “Braking the Cycle.” This 10-minute
clip showed the bikers riding for three days
in the pouring rain but still having the time
of their lives. During short interviews, the
riders talked about their reasons for participating. Some were HIV positive, others had
friends who had died of this disease and some
were raising money in their memory.
Freshman Ashley Wood played five songs
on her acoustic guitar. Four of these songs
were originals, including “71 down 17,”
“Walk,” and “College Life” a song about life
at Ramapo. However, one song was a
unique cover of “Inside of You” from the

movie, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” Wood
had quite the fan base in the front row,
which cheered and held up signs for her.
After the show she said, “This was my first
show and was a lot of fun, especially
because of my cheering squad.”
Steve Carter played songs like “Car Crash”
about his love dying in a highway accident
and “Heart Defeats the Home,” about dating
a married woman. During his set, he thanked
the small group that gathered often saying,
“It is a good day to be at Ramapo and this is
a great cause.”
After a few minutes of instrumental music
performed by bassist Cameron Brown,
drummer Kim Plainfield and piano player
Adam Klipple, Thos Shipley made his
entrance.
Shipley is a famous jazz singer who has
photo by Megan Mulharin
lived with HIV for 30 years. Last year, he Freshman Ashley Wood was one of two students who performed as openwas one of the keynote speakers at Ramapo ing acts for the award winning Thos Shipley.
on World AIDS Day and he has also participated in “Braking the Cycle” multiple You Look Tonight” and Billy Joel’s “New safe. This is for them.”
York State of Mind.” He was afraid that
There were two other events planned for
times.
since
he
was
“in
‘New
Joisey,’
playing
this
World
AIDS Day including a play, “A Boy,
“People talk about this disease like it is
song
would
be
sacrilege.”
His
covers,
A
Girl,
A Virus,” about a married couple
someone else’s problem, but it’s everyone’s
including
that
one,
received
a
good
amount
who
has
to deal with one member being
problem. Each and every one of us is one of
of
applause
from
the
audience.
HIV
positive.
those people. People need to get their heads
Wood later said, “even though jazz isn’t my
For more information about “Braking the
out of the sand and talk about this problem
favorite
type
of
music,
I
enjoyed
many
of
Cycle”
or about the LGBT Community
until it is solved,” said Shipley.
the
covers.
Plus,
they
looked
like
they
were
Center,
go
to brakingthecycle.com or gayShipley mostly sang (and scatted) very
having
so
much
fun
up
on
stage.”
In
keepcenter.org,
respectively.
unique jazz renditions of popular songs
including the Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me ing with the season, Shipley sang “I’ll be
Love,” “My Favorite Things” from the Home for Christmas” which he thought was
Sound of Music, Frank Sinatra’s “The Way “appropriate because of all the service men
and women overseas keeping our country

Clooney’s Mr. Fox Never Ceases to be Fantastic
By JON LINDENAUER
Staff Writer

There have only been a handful of
American stop-motion animated films
released in the past decade. In comparison,
there have been approximately 100 computer animated films release in the same time
frame. Despite the many technical advantages and improvements computer animation has over its less digitally inclined counterpart, one major advantage stop-motion
films have had to their credit has been quality. In a long line of masterfully crafted animated features, the latest entry, “The
Fantastic Mr. Fox,” director Wes Anderson’s
loose envisioning of the Ronald Dahl book
of the same name is superb.
The central focus of Dahl’s story and
Anderson’s recreation is essentially the
same. The plot revolves around a fox who
outsmarts powerful local farmers to steal
chickens and cider amongst other things. A
primary theme in Anderson’s film - not present in the Dahl original - is the notion of a
person (or fox in this case) trying to give up
his or her passion in favor of being a respon-

sible adult. While the theme is often
employed in coming-of-age films with
teenagers or young adults wrestling with the
liabilities of maturity, “Mr. Fox” is far more
engaging and action oriented than it may
seem and is hilarious but with a clear heartfelt intent, as is often the case with
Anderson’s films.
For those who are fans of director Wes
Anderson’s live-action filmmaking, his first
animated feature is sure to maintain that
admiration. With a tale full of peculiar side
characters, villains given a quirky montage
expounding upon their backgrounds and
increment use of the book’s chapter titles,
Anderson’s newest work is certainly not
lacking in his signature style. Adding extra
credence to the stop-motion imagery is veteran Henry Selick, who worked on the previous Dahl adaptation “James and the Giant
Peach” as well as “The Nightmare Before
Christmas.”
George Clooney, inhabits the role of Mr.
Fox well, despite relatively little experience
in the field of animation vocal work.
Clooney – whose demeanor is a perfect fit
for the darkly comedic roles he often gravi-

tates toward – plays the role with an appropriate blend of sophistication, confidence,
charisma and an animalistic attitude that
brings an extra dimension to the character.
Another notable individual lending their
voice is Anderson regular Jason
Schwartzman, who plays Mr. Fox’s misfit
son with spectacular deadpan delivery.
As for the film’s flaws, as is typical with
Wes Anderson, one can expect an abundance
of dry humor, which is obviously a matter
of preference but may turn off a great deal of
those who are fans of more traditional animation.
“The Fantastic Mr. Fox” – by its very
nature – is not a traditional animated film.
The movie’s visuals, its story, its characters
and the sensibilities of its director distinguish it from the plethora of other entries
into the animated medium. “Mr. Fox” is
deeply humorous, thrilling, sincere and worthy of many other positive descriptors.
Thus, in an animation niche that provides
precious few entries per year and even per
decade, “Mr. Fox” does not fail a fantastic
legacy.

OVERALL
RATING:
9 OUT OF 10

Viggo Mortenson Follows the Road to Greatness
Page 9 The Ramapo News

By MORGAN BALOG
Staff Writer

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Having read the book, “The Road” and
managing to have fallen in love with it, I
can say that I was honestly a bit skeptical on
how well the movie would be done when I
heard that it was being made.
That is an honest and unexpected reaction
for a book that happened to win Cormac
McCarthy the Pulitzer Prize in 2007. But do
not fear! John Hillcoat’s directing and Viggo
Mortensen’s performance hold some serious
ground.
The story follows the journey of a father
and son in a post apocalyptic wasteland, or
Earth. The explanation for the devastation is
not given, but that is not the main focus.
The focus of the story is the journey of this
father and son; and it is quite a horrific one
at that. The barren wasteland is filled with
gruesome and macabre portraits of humanity.
While this father and son (who remain
unnamed throughout the novel), scavenge for
food and shelter on their quest to the coast
and warmer weather, they are constantly
dodging the now savage remains of civilized
people.
It is a story of the love that a father and son
can share, and a man searching for beauty and
love in a world with literally none of that. In
essence, this story is the complete opposite
of Cormac McCarthy’s other famous work,
maybe you know it: “No Country for Old
Men.”

I was skeptic and a bit nervous going into
this film. It was a limited release and it was
directed by a smaller and less notorious director, John Hillcoat.
That certainly does not mean that it could
not deliver. While I may enjoy a variety of
actors and actresses, there is one actor that I
think I can honestly say that everyone loves.
Viggo Mortensen has had his fair share of
roles. From playing the heroic Aragorn to a
“bad-ass” Russian Mafioso, it is clear that
Mortensen knows what he is doing. And
unsurprisingly, Mortensen failed to disappoint. His loving and protective nature
seemed to be so natural in this film and
everything he does on the camera is truly
stunning.
At no time whatsoever during the film, did
I have a single problem with any of the performances. I enjoyed the back and forth banter between the father and son, the simple
discussions that held great meaning.
I really enjoyed the small cameos made by
the larger actors in the movie (Charlize
Theron, Robert Duvall and Guy Pearce).
These appearances really brought the book to
life for me.
The scenery is exactly how it was supposed
to be in the novel; everything is grey and
dead or dying. This may sound minor but I
found this to be an important part of the
novel; there needed to be more dead people
lying around! On almost every page the
father and son are seeing corpses and half
eaten bodies everywhere.

What are you Eating?

By KELLY CRAIG
Staff Writer

“Food, Inc.” is a documentary by
Award-winning
director
R obert
Kenner discussing the disaster we
call our food industry in America. It
takes an in-depth look at the government’s regulatory agencies, the
USDA and FDA, and the discrepancies that they try to keep out of the
public
eye.
Kenner takes the viewer on a journey to see how the power of our
nation’s food supply has been ripped
from the American farmers and given

to corporations who risk the safety of
workers, our environment and our
health all in one fell swoop.
The movie expands on the negative
consequences created through this
change of power. New strains of E.
coli have developed because people
want to produce “bigger-breasted
c
h
i
c
k
e
n
.
”
Since chemicals have become a part
of the production of foods, the
national obesity rate has skyrocketed
and there has been an epidemic of diabetes.
To counteract this movement,
“Food, Inc.” offers “10 simple things
you can do to change our food system.”
They urge the public to search for
organic, locally grown foods and to
educate others on ways to eat
healthy. “Food, Inc. ” works with
Hungry For Change to help accomplish the ultimate goal of revolting
against our industrialized food and
moving towards environmentally
conscience consumption of food, by
returning the power back to the farmers of America.
For more information on how you
can get involved visit
ht t p: / / www. foodi ncm ovi e. com / get involved. php and attend Ramapo’s
viewing of the movie Food, Inc.
coming this spring semester.

This element brings the ugliness even further into light. While everything is grey and
wet and the sun never shines, the constant
barrage of the gruesome fate of mankind
brings the real themes into focus.
Now you may ask: “Why is Morgan complaining about this stupid little detail?” and
the answer sadly is just that I loved this
book so much and I expected this to be a
major part of the film.
Other than this, I would have liked to see
more encounters of the savage remaining
tribes or “blood cults,” as they are called in
the book. These gruesome and often terrifying encounters left me in suspense throughout the entire book.
Without them constantly being around in
the movie, like they were in the novel, the
film lost a sense of urgency and desperation
that was a major part of the adventure for the
father and son.
If you like to read and you enjoy good stories, read the book first. It will help you
understand the movie so much more.
The novel truly paints a vivid picture of
what the writer, Cormac McCarthy, truly
wanted to achieve with this award-winning
novel.
After reading the book, go and see the
movie (it’s a very fast and easy read…not a
lot of big words to scare you away). It is a
good and solemn adaptation of a book. It is
not very disappointing and it is almost
equally as powerful. While “No Country for
Old Men” might be the best film adaptation

of a Cormac McCarthy novel, I will not
even come close to saying that “The Road”
is a bad one.

OVERALL
RATING:
8.5 OUT OF 10

Bob Dylan Succeeds with Holiday Cheer
Page 10 The Ramapo News

Thursday, December 3, 2009

By JOHN FRAZE
Staff Writer

In “Christmas in the Heart” Bob Dylan’s voice has matured
in the way only cigarettes and old age can facilitate. Where
normally one would pine for the days of less rasp, there could
be no other way for Dylan to sing that would make this listening experience any more perfect. It’s almost as if Santa is
singing all of our favorite Christmas songs.
Not only does it sound like Santa, but “Christmas in the
Heart” also gives you that warm fuzzy feeling because Dylan
is donating all his royalties from the album to charities that
deal with feeding those who cannot feed themselves.
In regards to the charity project, he had this to say: “It’s a
tragedy that more than 35 million people in this country
alone — 12 million of those children – often go to bed hungry and wake up each morning unsure of where their next
meal is coming from. I join the good people of Feeding
America in the hope that our efforts can bring some food
security to people in need during this holiday season.”
This sure is a noble idea that adds a whole other dimension
to the Christmas cheer on the new album.
“Here Comes Santa Claus,” a popular favorite originally
written by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman, is given new
life on this album, with all sorts of beautiful instrumentals
and of course the man himself, Bob Dylan.
As if Dylan himself weren’t enough, a choir of harmonies
accompanies him in this and many other songs on the
album. With a chorus of young sharp voices, Dylan belts out
this jolly classic with warmth and enthusiasm.
“Do You Hear What I Hear” is another holiday favorite, but
it always seemed to be missing something in its usual format. On “Christmas in the Heart,” the song is taken to the

next level by Dylan; it no longer has that haunting uneasy
feeling. It’s been traded for a more upbeat, hopeful tune.
“Winter Wonderland” starts off with some soothing harmonies that keep it up in the background, and really shine
through in the chorus. The piece is full of rich slide guitar,
a nice violin accompaniment and strumming on acoustic
guitar to keep the pace.
“Hark the Herald Angels Sing” really enters into the realm
of the ‘love or hate’ relationship many have with Dylan’s
vocals. Dylan has definitely made this song his own with his
nasally vocals, but still has a rating of ‘love’ from this end.
“I’ll Be Home For Christmas” slows it down a lot and takes
it primarily to the piano. The tune is beautiful and sounds a
bit like a Tom Waits tune. “Little Drummer Boy” is a pret-

ty bear bones cover of the original tune, but it’s fun nonetheless. Slide guitar and a nice electric guitar strumming in the
background add a lot of flavor to this oldie.
“The Christmas Blues” is a sure thing for Dylan. He plays
the blues as good as anyone could. This song is very instrumentally rich, with piano, acoustic guitar, upright bass, electric and electric slide guitar; the harmonies are absent in this
song and that adds all the more emphasis to Dylan’s interpretation of the song.
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is one of the real
gems of this album. A classic as always, the reworked version is just magic. Dylan’s arrangement and inclusion of different instruments with new sounds is a real pleasure.
“Christmas in the Heart” has a lot more to offer. This is a
must listen for any Bob Dylan fan, any Christmas song
enthusiast and anyone who enjoy classic rock.
Dylan’s reworking of the classic Christmas songs is
untouchable. Even if you dislike Dylan, Christmas and classic rock, you could still get your kicks from buying this
because of the deal Dylan has set up to send royalties from
the album to those in need this holiday season.

OVERALL
RATING:
9 OUT OF 10

Harvard’s Debut Album Joins the Ivy League
By JENNA MOONJIAN
Staff Writer

For most people, Harvard evokes thoughts of the Ivy
League, exceptional grades, prestige, incredible intelligence
and money. For others, maybe it’s thoughts of Legally
Blonde.
Perhaps that’s normal that most people correlate Harvard
with the prestigious and nearly impossible to get into Ivy
League University. That Harvard certainly isn’t the only one
though.
Although slightly less prestigious, North Carolina quintet,
Harvard, has plenty to teach with their debut album, “The
Inevitable and I.”
Unlike the university that shares the same name, the lessons this Harvard teaches don’t require perfect grades and
scores (or just money) and won’t cost a fortune.
The first track on “The Inevitable and I” is “On With
Disease” and it starts it off with a bang. Just a few guitar
riffs and a quick drumbeat take the listener right in and paints
a picture of how the rest of the album will be.
It starts off upbeat, but migrates to a slower, piano-driven
center and then brings it right back again.
“French Girls” is perfectly melodic and features elements
not typical of an average rock band. This track also shifts
between slower and more upbeat tempos.
The next track, “Deliverance,” is highly reminiscent of
bands Circa Survive and Chiodos – in a positive way.
“Memory Police,” “An End Weight” and “Ghost” continue
the beautiful vibe of the record. All three tracks are almost
flawless and captivating.
The different elements of the songs piece together so well
and send sparks to the senses. This continues throughout the
tracks until the next, “Tenebroso,” an instrumental intermission of sorts.
The flawlessness progresses afterwards with “Hand To
Hesitate.” While much of modern and mainstream rock
focuses more dominantly on the vocals and lyrics, this song

proves it should be otherwise.
While the vocals and lyrics are excellent, it takes the time
to break it down and gives the instruments that highlight it
a chance to shine through as well.
The biggest change of all would be on the closing track,
and title track, “Inevitable and I.” With poetic lyrics that
sound like they came right from “Where The Wild Things
Are:” soft and sweet vocals and accompanied by simple and
gentle instrumentals unlike the rest of the tracks, this is the
final piece of the record and it rounds everything out perfectly.
For a debut album, Harvard did an exceedingly impressive
in setting the bar high with “Inevitable and I.” To start, the
lyrics are catchy and have hooks, just like their popular radio
counterparts.
They managed to avoid the clichéd storylines used by other
“rock” bands. They’re well written and undeniably poetic,
but still have a dark and mysterious edge to them. They

aren’t easily revealed and leave some imagination for the listener to determine their meanings for themselves.
The vocals are not overbearing in any way and are almost
unheard of in the genre. Harvard’s vocals seem to be more
typical of a singer-songwriter than of a rock band, where
lyrics are more usually screamed or spoken instead of heartfelt singing.
What might be the most impressive part of Harvard and
“The Inevitable and I” is the music itself. The talent and
knowledge the band members have of their instruments is
obvious. Unlike some genre brethren, they can actually play
more than a few chords and it shows.
Each song takes the opportunity to highlight the instruments – putting more focus on the musical aspects in a
world preoccupied with vocals. Not only that, but they even
seem to incorporate atypical instruments for an average rock
band.
When all of these elements are pulled together everything
seems to work flawlessly. “Inevitable and I” is like an intricate pattern – it all forms from the pieces, with time, and
that’s when it becomes beautiful. This is an album that doesn’t fit into the “rock” genre so many bands and artists are
tossed into. Instead, it transcends genres – everything from
pop to hardcore and everything in between.

The latest comedy starring Robin Williams
and John Travolta pleases young viewers
and their parents, while leaving others wondering if the celebrated actors have become a
couple of “old dogs.”
Directed by Walt Becker (“Wild Hogs”),
“Old Dogs” focuses on characters Dan and
Charlie—lifelong friends and partners in
sports marketing. At the beginning of the
film, the pair is working to close the careermaking deal they have been waiting for over
the past 30 years.
Williams plays Dan, a sad middle-aged
man who is “allergic to anything under 4
feet tall,” and still haunted by events that
occurred seven years earlier in his life.
Travolta takes on the role of Charlie, the
uplifting friend and business partner who

Thursday, December 3, 2009

saves Dan from his despair time and again.
It is through Charlie’s efforts to win over
potential clients with “funny” stories about
his partner that the audience learns what
happened in Dan’s past.
Everything goes haywire when his ex-wife
Vicki comes back into the picture and asks
Dan if they can meet over lunch. Vicki tells
Dan that she has fraternal twins, that he’s
the father…oh, and that she needs him to
baby-sit for two weeks while she goes to
jail for being a political activist. Quite the
lunch to swallow.
From here the story quickly becomes a tale
of two guys who have no experience in
child-rearing. While some of the mistakes
made by Dan and “Uncle Charlie” make for
a few good laughs, others are a little beyond
the point of common sense, as when Dan
shakes his daughter’s hand after tucking her
in for the night.

Although Ella Bleu Travolta (as Emily)
shines on the big screen alongside her dad,
she and Connor Rayburn (as Zach) get less
time on camera than their clueless caretakers. But, to be fair, the film is more about
Dan’s and Charlie’s capability to relate to
the children rather than about the children
themselves.
Fortunately, the film drops gold coins
throughout its 88-minute runtime by coloring a cliché situation with a few new jokes.
Instead of cutting holes in dad’s shirt or
messing with his hair dye, the kids make
more practical mistakes like mixing up
Dan’s and Charlie’s medication.
Seth Green’s character, Ralph, seems to
have little purpose in the film—except to
complicate the big business deal…and fall
victim to forced cuddling with a gorilla.
Appearances by Lori Loughlin, Rita
Wilson, Matt Dillon, Amy Sedaris, Justin
Long and the late Bernie Mac earn the film
a few brownie points.
Unsurprisingly, “Old Dogs” concludes
with the all the loose ends tied up—Dan
becomes the superhero dad his kids want
him to be, Charlie ends up with a wife and
kid of his own, and the partners in sports
marketing miraculously close their deal
despite the mishaps. And it all happens with
sentimental music playing in the background.
But hey, when does a Disney movie not
have a happy ending and the perfect music to
accompany it? Despite the excessive poop
jokes, a bad spray tan and the repeated mistaking of the men for senior citizens,
Williams and Travolta pull off their acts.
“Old Dogs” is a good film if you’re looking to spend time with the family during the

Dark Runner by Ryan Mallory

holiday season—there are just enough jokes
for the kids and the rest, while it may go
over their heads, is enough to keep the
remainder of the family at least pleasantly
engaged.
One thing is for certain: While some think
Williams and Travolta are “old dogs” who
have reached their peaks, it would be foolish
to assume that the two—both recovering
from hardships—have no new tricks left up
their sleeves.

OVERALL
RATING:
6 OUT OF 10

Page 12 The Ramapo News

Thursday, December 3, 2009

RAMAPO SPORTS

Menʼs Basketball Jumps Out to Undefeated Start

By ANDREW GOULD
Staff Writer

As New Jersey’s professional basketball team is still searching for its first win 18 games into the season, the Ramapo
Roadrunners men’s basketball team has a zero on the other
side of their record. Ramapo has soared to a fast start, winning their first four games of the season.
Ramapo began the season with a 95-83 victory at The City
College of New York. The team’s offensive attack was led by
senior Isaiah Lynch and freshman Travis Conyers, each scoring 16 points for the Roadrunners.

“To be honest, I don’t care how we win
them, as long as we win.”
-Chuck McBreen, coach

After the opener, the rest of Ramapo’s victories were
obtained in low scoring defensive battles. In the first home
game of the season, Ramapo defeated Yeshiva University
74-63, outrebounding Yeshiva 40-27 and picking up 19
points from the free throw line.
The following day, Ramapo topped Wentworth Institute of
Technology in a 75-53 victory, outscoring WIT by 20 points
in the second half. Sophomore LaQuan Peterkin led the way
with 16 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Peterkin was
just as impressive against York College, manufacturing 16
points and 12 rebounds to pave the way to a 62-54 victory.
Coach Chuck McBreen, coming into his 12th season leading the men’s basketball squad, does not seem to be concerned with the score of the game as long as it ends in a vic-

tory. While Ramapo has been involved in low scoring affairs,
they have outscored their opponents by a margin of 13.3
points per game.
Ramapo has soared to a promising start despite a roster
loaded with underclassmen. With a starting lineup featuring
four sophomores and a bench led by freshmen, McBreen
stressed consistency, stating that most of his young players
have been anything but that so far.
“With freshmen, you get the up-and-down roller coaster
rides,” McBreen said. “We’re trying to find an identity since
we’re so young and lack leadership.”
McBreen knows that despite the positive start, there is still
a long season ahead. In addition to becoming more consistent and cohesive, the team still has room for improvement
on offense.
“We need to shoot the ball better from the floor and the free
throw line,” McBreen said.
Ramapo shoots free throws at a 62.6 percentage, with its
opponents collectively shooting at 69 percent. While their
49.4 field goal percentage is high, they have yet to find their
rhythm while shooting three pointers, landing only 15 long
distance shots during the season.
Although it is hard to be displeased with an undefeated
start, McBreen feels the team has merely done “enough” in
each of their games to beat their respective opponent, but
they will have to step up against tougher competition.
McBreen said that he will have “a better indication on
where the program is heading” after the team’s next four
games. The Roadrunners will face two conference rivals,
William Patterson and Montclair State, which will show
where they stand in their conference. They will also travel to
Salisbury, Md., to participate in a two-game tournament.

The Ramapo College women’s basketball has improved their record to
3-1. The Manhattanville women’s
basketball team almost had a comeback but came up short, as they lost to
the Roadrunners, 67-63. Though the
Valiants led 28-22 at halftime, the
Roadrunners came out in the second
half and took the lead at 34-30. It was
a back and forth game where the
Valiants ultimately came up short.
“We have been covering a lot of
ground and are playing like a different
team. From a coaching perspective
we tend to improve every day,” said
head coach Mike Eineker.
Sophomore forward Lindsey
Gripenburg, who scored 17 points
including 7-8 from the free throw line
in the win over Manhattanville, said,
“We played a great second half. I
think at one point we were down by
15, and were able to come back and
win by four. Still, we need to really
work on boxing out and communication.”
Gripenburg is happy with the results
thus far, but notes that there is always
room for improvement. She recog-

nizes in order to win games together
the team also has to take better shot
selections, work on helping out defensively and take care of the basketball.
“Already we have improved since
the first game, so it will be interesting
to see just how far we are able to go
this season,” she added.
The Roadrunners are inching closer
to their main goal in making the
NJAC tournament.
“To accomplish this we need to continue to work hard and compete with
and beat the tough teams in our conference such as William Paterson and
Montclair State,” said Gripenburg.
With a mix of veteran athletes bringing knowledge of the game and
knowing what is expected of them
through the coaches, things have been
meshing well for the team.
“We [the upperclassmen] know how
our Coach wants us to play,”
Gripenburg said. “We also know how
our opponents want to play us. The
rookies, though, bring their athleticism. Meghan Reilly, Faith Flannery
and Alexa Ryan are three very talented players, and the better they play,
the better they make everyone else
want to play too.”
Eineker appreciates the recruiting

class.
“Usually for rookies, there is a huge
gap between college and high school
ball,” he said. “But the freshmen
came in with great quality play and
have contributed a lot to the team.
Our returning players have done a
great job leading our team, especially
captain Brittany Hoffman.”
Gripenburg notes a distinct difference from last year’s squad to this
year’s, particularly in terms of how
they stack up against other teams.
“Last year when we played CSI and
Manhattanville, we lost both games
by 20 points,” she said. “This year, we
were able to beat them both instead.
Instead of going up against tough
teams and thinking that we can't compete with them they are too good, we
are going out and trying as hard as
possible to win.”
Eineker also noted that difference in
his team this year.
“Our outlook if good and we have
gotten off to a pretty good start. We
still want to continue to improve in
conference play. I am anxious to see
how we do against William
Patterson.”

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Ramapoʼs Swim
Teams Tread
Wintry Water

By JEREMY KELLY
Staff Writer

Some may find it ironic that the time of the
year in which people who live in suburban New
Jersey wouldn’t consider stepping into a swimming pool is when the Ramapo men and
women’s swimming teams begin their seasons.
As autumn and winter approach, the players
from each Roadrunners squad meet to compete
in the pool.
Both teams are guided by second-year head
coach Gary Orr. Last season marked Ramapo’s
first season of varsity competition.
Currently, the women’s team, picked before
the season to finish fifth in a NJAC poll, has a
record of 1-3, while the men are 2-2. The sole
day that both teams shared a measure of success
came against Drew University on Nov. 7, when
each team dominated their opponents with winning scores of 146-26 for the women, and 16932 for the men.
Neither roster features a senior. However, the
young talent that they do have is sure to lead to
a promising future.
The men’s team has an impressive player in
sophomore Stephen Fox. In a meet against
Rowan University on Nov. 21, Fox took first
place in the men’s 100 yard backstroke, 200
yard backstroke and 200 yard individual medley. Fox was also instrumental in the
Roadrunners’ victory in the 200 yard medley
relay at a time of 1:39.50.
On the day overall, the Ramapo men’s team
scored some impressive numbers. The
Roadrunners scored well in breaststroke events
and also won the final event of the afternoon:
the men’s 400 yard freestyle relay. Led by the
efforts of freshman Geoff Richter, sophomore
Mike Waterhouse, sophomore Peter Pulgar and
freshman Frank Patierno, they took first place
with a time of 3:18.78. However, the men’s
team was defeated by Rowan.
For the women, freshman Brenda Slazyk won
first place in the women’s 100 yard backstroke.
She also took second place for the women’s 50
yard freestyle and 100 yard freestyle.
The day for the women’s team featured
impressive relay and freestyle performances.
Out of the 14 women’s events on the day, nine
featured Ramapo players that took up two of
the top three positions for each event. However,
the Lady Roadrunners fell to Rowan by the
score of 155-93.
Both squads are currently on a short break
from competitive action, but they’ll both be
ready to go for their next meets on Dec. 12
against the College of Staten Island at 2 p.m.
They’ll then take a longer break before returning in the spring semester, where the climate
will still be cold, but the intensity will surely be
heating up.

This NFL season has proved unfortunate to
New York as it seems that the Giants and
Jets will be joining their fans in watching
the NFL postseason.
After starting the season 5-0, the Giants
lost five of their next six games, making
their record 6-5. Throughout the year, the
Giants have hit many speed bumps and realized they are vulnerable to slumps, just like
the rest of the NFL. The Giants now sit in
third place in the NFC East.
Eli Manning, usually consistent, has
thrown passes carelessly and his lack of
protection has caused him to be rushed in
the pocket. Manning has 2,684 yards (12th
in the NFL) and has 18 touchdown passes to
go along with 10 interceptions.
Brandon Jacobs has only scored three
touchdowns this season after scoring 15 a
year ago. The defensive line has also seen
its troubles; Osi Umenyiora leads the team
with only five sacks.
A lone bright spot for the Giants has been
their group of wide receivers, which many
believed wouldn’t be nearly as good without Plaxico Burress. Steve Smith leads the
team with 72 receptions, 869 yards and five
touchdowns. He is fourth in receptions,
sixth in yards and tied for fifth in touchdowns among receivers.
The Giants will have to win out in order to
have a shot at the NFC East title or even the
Wild Card. I predict the Giants to finish the
season 8-8 as they are beat by the Cowboys,
Eagles and Vikings.

The Jets have a 5-6 record and rank third
in the AFC East. Rookie quarterback Mark
Sanchez has shown much promise, but has
thrown for only 1,945 yards, which is 23rd
in the NFL, and has a mere ten touchdowns
along with 17 interceptions.
Thomas Jones has been effective, rushing
for 959 yards and scoring nine touchdowns.
He has shown once again why he should be
considered one of the elite running backs in
the NFL.
Rex Ryan took the Jets coaching job in
part to help a depleted defense. He has
greatly improved the defense by turning the
Jets into a blitzing team. This shows by the
play of linebacker David Harris, who has 94
tackles and 4.5 sacks. Darrelle Revis, who
has four interceptions, has come into his
own as the NFL’s best shutdown cornerback, having dominated both Andre
Johnson and Randy Moss.
The Jets can only hope to make the Wild
Card if they win all of the remaining games
on their schedule, but I predict them to finish 8-8, losing to the Colts and Bengals.
Donovan McNabb has played strong and
so has the Eagles’ offensive line. DeSean
Jackson has become an elite NFL wide
receiver, as his 769 yards is good for 16th
among wideouts and his six touchdowns tie
him for fourth among wide receivers.
Defensively, the Eagles are playing great.
Defensive end Trent Cole has 9.5 sacks and
corner Asante Samuel has seven picks.
The Eagles are currently second in the
NFC East with a 7-4 record. I predict the
Eagles will finish 10-6 and will beat out the
Cowboys for the division crown.

By JOEY LEWANDOWSKI
Staff Writer

Even though the NFL season has another
five weeks to go, it’s the last issue of the
Ramapo News. What better time to name
my MVP than now?
There are currently three frontrunners for
the award: Drew Brees, Brett Favre and
Peyton Manning. These three quarterbacks
lead teams with a combined 32-1 record
and have made each offense a juggernaut.
Brees leads the NFL with 27 touchdown
passes and ranks fifth with 3117 yards.
Brees most recently showed his firepower
in Monday night’s 38-17 blowout win over
the Patriots, as he threw for five scores and
371 yards and only saw five of his 23 passes fall incomplete.
Brees’ numbers are gaudy, to say the very
least. However, because of the tremendous
talent surrounding him (on both sides of
the ball), his accomplishments are less
impressive in my eyes.
Favre, on the other hand, went into
Minnesota to find a motley crew of
receivers. Bernard Berrian had only one
good season heading into this year, and yet
he was arguably the best receiver the team
had. Favre had Adrian Peterson, though,
and a formidable defense, so he wasn’t
needed to win games with his arm.
However, that’s exactly what’s happened.
Favre’s 24 touchdowns tie him for second
in the league, and to think he has a leaguelow three interceptions is just absurd. He
turned Sidney Rice into a constant threat
and has made rookie Percy Harvin one of

the most exciting receivers to watch.
With all Favre has done, however, the
Vikings’ defense and running game has
been nearly as good. Without Favre, the
Vikings would be nowhere near where
they are now. But don’t forget that they
made the playoffs last season without No.
4, so it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to think that they could have done
it again this season.
That leaves No. 18 alone at the top.
Peyton Manning, one of only two players
to ever win three MVP awards (along with
Favre) is, in my eyes, the frontrunner for
this year’s Most Valuable Player.
I think it can be argued that Manning
could and should win the award every
year. Year in and year out, the Colts find
themselves in the playoffs (often with a
first round bye), despite changes to their
roster. This year, Manning lost his favorite
target of the past decade (Marvin
Harrison), and his team’s running game
has been virtually nonexistent.
Unlike teams who play the Vikings or
Saints, the Colts’ opponents know that
Indy wins games pretty exclusively
through the air. Despite this obvious gameplanning advantage, Manning has led his
Colts to an 11-0 record.
Every time I watch a Colts game, there’s
a moment where I realize, “There’s no way
Peyton’s going to lose this game.”
That’s not a statement that usually applies
to the extremely team-oriented nature of
the NFL. That’s a statement I find myself
making about players in the NBA or MLB.
That’s a statement I find defines an MVP.

NFL WEEK 13 STAFF PICKS

Week 13
Matchups

Joey Lewandowski

DAL @ NYG

Dallas

NYJ @ BUF

Charlie LaPlaca

Jeremy Kelly

Dave Ragazzo

Andrew Gould

Natasha Arena

Overall (47-33)
Last Issue (7-1)

Overall (45-35)
Last Issue (7-1)

Overall (40-40)
Last Issue (5-3)

Overall (43-37)
Last Issue (7-1)

Overall (44-36)
Last Issue (7-1)

Overall (44-36)
Last Issue (8-0)

Buffalo

Buffalo

Buffalo

New York

New York

Buffalo

New York

New York

Dallas

Dallas

Dallas

PHI @ ATL

Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Philadelphia

TEN @ IND

Tennessee

Indianapolis

Indianapolis

Indianapolis

Indianapolis

Indianapolis

Minnesota

Minnesota

HOU @ JAX

Houston

SF @ SEA

San Francisco

BAL @ GB

Green Bay

MIN @ ARI

Houston

Jacksonville

Jacksonville

Houston

Jacksonville

Seattle

San Francisco

San Francisco

San Francisco

San Francisco

Green Bay

Green Bay

Green Bay

Baltimore

Green Bay

Arizona

Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota

Eye On the Tiger: Woods Controversy Draws Public Attention

Page 15 The Ramapo News

By ANDREW GOULD
Staff Writer

The one star athlete we thought we could
depend on finally has a black mark on his
record.
The latest media frenzy has swarmed around
Tiger Woods, who hit a fire hydrant with his
SUV outside his home last Friday morning.
Woods was left with some bruises, and the
back window of his car was shattered.
According to Woods, his wife used a golf
club to break a car window to get him out of
the vehicle.
Woods has been cited for careless driving,
but does not face any criminal charges. If
anything, he faces a $164 fine (which is nothing for him) and four points against his driver’s license.
Sounds simple enough, but it is never that
simple with a famous person involved. No
celebrity can take a breath these days without
being scrutinized by the media. Rather than
leaving this issue to police and Woods’ family, everyone is taking their guess at what happened.
The main speculation going around is that
Woods was trying to get away from his wife,
who was angry upon finding out that he was
having an affair. Rumors of an affair with
Rachel Uchitel, a manager of a nightclub in
New York City, were previously reported in
last week’s National Enquirer (which can

Thursday, December 3, 2009

hardly be considered to be a credible source).
Evidence continued to pie up against Woods

when US Weekly claimed that Woods also
had an affair with Jaimee Grubbs, a Los
Angeles cocktail waitress. A voicemail was
also released with Woods nervously asking
Grubbs to change her outgoing message since
he expects his wife to call her phone in the

near future.
Woods posted a formal statement on his web

photo courtesy of Keith Allison

site, apologizing for his “transgressions.” He
also criticized the media for invading his private life, saying the situation will be handled
“behind closed doors with [his] family.”
With questions floating around regarding the
incident, a public relations disaster has been

created for Woods, who has always been the
golden boy athlete. Not only has he dominated golf over the years, but he makes more
money in endorsements than any other athlete, all while being a quiet family man.
Woods’ impeccable reputation is in severe
jeopardy.
The consensus seems to be that Woods
should come forward with the full truth.
While it would have initially been better for
Woods to remain silent, the released voicemail made it virtually impossible for him to
do so.
Although he never said on his Web site that
he has had an affair, he basically admitted to
it. Now he risks losing his universal popularity and could become the A-Rod of golf. The
fact that he was rushing out after 2 a.m. seems
suspicious, and the timing of the accident
right after the tabloid reports seems a bit more
than coincidental. If Tiger Woods can’t be
viewed as a role model, what athlete can?
With no legal ramifications left, Woods
should have no obligation to disclose his private life to the public. The only person Woods
has to answer to is his wife. He has every
right to his privacy, but he has no chance of
getting it. A celebrity who makes millions by
staying in the spotlight will not be able to
escape when something goes wrong. The
sporting community needs Tiger Woods,
which makes it painful to see that we lost him
to the tabloids.

Cutting Down the ʻNetsʼ: New Jersey Off to Worst Start Ever
By DAVE RAGAZZO
Staff Writer

When we think of NBA records, we
think of players like Wilt Chamberlain,
who was the only player to score 100
points in one game, or the 1995-96
Chicago Bulls, who posted a league
record 72 wins in a single season.
Records are normally associated with
winning, but not all records are good.
Just ask the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets.
The Nets suffered their 18th straight
loss of the season on Wednesday when
they lost to the Dallas Mavericks, 117101. The loss dropped the Nets to 0-18,
which set a record for the worst start in
league history. The 1988-89 Heat and the
1999-2000 Clippers both started out 0-17
before finally winning a game.
Before Sunday’s game against the
Lakers, the Nets fired coach Lawrence
Frank, who was the longest tenured
coach in the Eastern Conference coming
into the season. He joined the Nets in the
2003-04 season as an interim head coach
and brought the Nets to the playoffs four
straight years from 2004-2007.
During the last two years, though, the
Nets have not made the playoffs and
Frank’s record over that time was a subpar 68-96. After the 0-16 start, Brett
Ratner and company decided it was time
to move on and named Tom Barrise
interim head coach before Sunday’s
game. Tuesday it was announced that
general manager Kiki Vandeweghe
would take over for the rest of the season.

The firing of Frank although seems
right also seems unfair at the same time.
It seems that with the team that he was
handed, even coaching greats such as
Phil Jackson or Pat Riley would have a

the Nets and their fans are still unsure of
their team’s future home.
Because of this, Ratner also decided it
was time to cut payroll, and get younger.
Two seasons ago, he traded star and fan

photo courtesy of Keith Allison

Chris Douglas-Robertsʼ (17, on the ground) pose adequately reflects
the state of the New Jersey Nets 2009-10 team.

tough time getting wins. It has been an
obvious rebuilding year for the team, and
Frank was not dealt an ideal hand coming into this season.
When Ratner, a real estate developer,
bought the team from YankeesNets in
2004, his main priority has been to relocate the team to the Prospect Heights
neighborhood of Brooklyn. However,
legal issues have stalled the move and

favorite Jason Kidd to the Dallas
Mavericks. This off season, All-Star
Vince Carter was traded to the Orlando
Magic in a deal that also shipped out
Ryan Anderson, who was averaging 11.3
points per game entering their game
Wednesday against the Knicks. In return,
the Nets got two back-up players in
Rafer Alston and Tony Battie, as well as
guard Courtney Lee (who has missed

half the season due to injury).
On top of all this, the ownership is currently up in the air. In September,
Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov
agreed to a deal that would make him
principal owner of the team and key
investor to the team’s move to Brooklyn.
The deal is still waiting for Ratner to get
financing and control of the land needed
to build a new arena. The deal also needs
to be approved by the NBA by the end of
the year, or else the entire deal will fall
through.
Even if the team was having early success, it would be hard for the team to
build or maintain a fan base with all the
questions surrounding them.
But all is not bad in New Jersey, as the
team does have a few bright young stars
that will get valuable playing time this
year. Second year players Brook Lopez
and Chris Douglas-Roberts have showed
flashes of greatness and may be building
blocks for the team’s future. Also, point
guard Devin Harris, who was the key
component in the Kidd trade, has the
ability to be an elite point guard in the
league. Building around these three players may be what the team has to do to
compete in the near future, as they will
have about $25 million for the LeBron
James sweepstakes this summer.
The Nets look to end their skid and pick
up their first win as they take on the
Bobcats on Friday. If they are unable to
beat Charlotte, they will travel to New
York to try to take down the currently 415 Knicks.